Belgium reiterates funding to UN agency for Palestine should continue

By Selen Valente

BRUSSELS (AA) – Belgium on Tuesday reiterated that funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) should continue.

Speaking at the joint session of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Development Commissions, Foreign Minister Hajda Lahbib drew attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and noted that the Israeli attack on Rafah would further worsen the situation.

Israel has failed to provide evidence supporting its claim that the UN agency's staff were involved with Hamas, she said.

“We have no access to proofs (related with Israeli claims). We are expecting Israel to submit proofs and waiting for the results of the investigation into the UNRWA. There is an authentic willingness in the EU for the clarification of the situation. Meanwhile, funding to the UNRWA should certainly continue,” she added.

Israel launched an offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack which killed nearly 1,200 Israelis. Israeli attacks have since killed more than 28,000 Palestinians and injured twice as many.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.